


Dangerous

by LighteningDancer



Series: Ocotoberfest [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Cloud - Freeform, First Meetings, Gen, Octoberfest, Other, The oc dies man, flame lore, idk man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 15:21:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12279192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LighteningDancer/pseuds/LighteningDancer
Summary: If only all first meetings were perfect.Prompt: Cloud for Octoberfest





	Dangerous

**Author's Note:**

> I... I don't know? How this happened?
> 
> This ended way differently than I thought it would when I started.

The first time Skull met another Cloud he was confused. Okay, so confused may not be the right choice to describe it really, maybe he was more perplexed? The word choice here really isn't the most important thing; all that matters is that for a moment even he was stunned to complete silence.

 

He had heard of course how other Clouds were said to act. Most were cold and aloof, highly territorial and very volatile. Their minds could not be changed and their actions could rarely, if ever, be controlled. They were to be hoarded if found or, if found by someone weaker than then they were, left alone at all costs. 

 

This meant there were very few active Clouds.

 

If they were found and restricted most tended to rebel until they met a tragic end, either by their own hands, their supposed ‘Family’s’ hands or an outside source who had heard of them due to said family’s bragging of having a Cloud. Killing themselves is perhaps the most tragic way to go out of the three options, after all the Cloud has already been chained and restricted to resort to such a measure, and to die would just be horrendous. Skull also finds the idea of dying because of the other reasons horrifying as well. Clouds that are killed by their Family's inability to not brag is heartbreaking at the very least and not something that can be taken lightly. The most heinous however is a Family killing off their Cloud, simply because they will not listen without the right Sky or because the had become no longer 'tame'. Most Clouds Skull had ever heard of had met their end in one of these three manners.

 

Those who could not, or would not, be ‘tamed’ for even a short time due to a variety of outside factors were another story. Their territory may to be too big for them to handle and so they died of overreaching and spending too much energy protecting what is theirs. In this scenario they usually die bone tired in battle. Or other times the territory they have is overpopulated and there are much stronger people there who don't want or need a Cloud getting in their way. In this case as well the Cloud in question also dies in battle. Lastly for unrestricted Clouds there is one more way to die free, and that is dying protecting their territory from invaders or those who wish to chain them down. These are the Clouds who go out in a final blaze of glory, their purple flames lighting the sky for all to see. 

 

So in most, if not all cases, Clouds die in battle protecting their right to be free and to have a choice. Which is why Skull was so shocked the first time he sees a Cloud other than himself.

 

It was before the curse, _ before everything changed and shifted and became to wrong for words _ , while he was on a mission with Fon. The mission was simple in nature, pretend to be invited to a party, have Skull make a distraction, and then Fon would kill the boss of the Paladino family who was running a child sex ring. Which, by the way, was the only reason Skull was okay with the whole killing people thing.

 

If Skull hadn't been scanning the room to see what would make the most efficient distraction, a.k.a what would make the most mess if he started fucking it up, he may have never seen the other man standing alone against one of the walls.

 

The man was most likely just a bit shorter than Reborn but his strength was displayed the same. The same lean muscles and dangerous glint in his eyes that seemed to warn anyone away at just a single well timed glance. The other Clouds hands seemed to glint in the light of the ballroom and after a moment Skull realized the other was wearing brass knuckles. Skull knew he was staring but he couldn't help himself, for the first time in his life he was meeting someone with the same flame as himself. Where Skull wanted to be the center of attention at all times, because really he's just awesome and everyone should see him and adore him, the other Cloud almost seemed like he was trying to become the wallpaper. But like deadly wallpaper. Skull wanted to be in constant motion, always moving in and out of people's line of sight _ ,  _ but the other young man looked like you would have to pry him away from the wall to mingle and you would most likely get maimed trying.

 

Then cold eyes met his as Skull felt in his soul something akin to looking into a mirror for the first time, something he knew so well was staring back at him but backwards and almost  _ broken _ in every sense of the word.

 

Some people state that there are two kinds of flames; classic and inverted, though those never seemed right to the young immortal stuntman. There was nothing inverted about his flame at all. 

 

The word invert is literally defined as: to reverse in position, order, direction, or relationship. 

 

None of that replies to his relationship with his flames. See “inverted” and “original” flames  _ still do the same thing _ . The only thing that is different is how flame users are taught  _ or forced  _ to use them. Any single Cloud out in the world could use their flames to heal themselves by multiplying their cells, and Skull could at any time use his flames to make multiples of physical objects. It's their lives that lead them becoming more skilled at each type of flame usage. For example: Skull broke his bones a lot but never really got into fights, so his Cloud flames prioritized healing over protection. Reborn’s Sun flames became more prone to attack rather than healing for the opposite reason, but all flame users can both heal, attack or defend with their flames if needed.

 

And every single flame user has the same relationship with their flames, it's their life force, their reason for being, and an extension of themselves more than any other thing in their life. There is no way to invert that unless they want to literally will themselves into dying. 

 

So do “inverted” and “classical” work as terms in Skulls mind? Well, yes, but only so much as saying a chicken is a duck in that they are both words, which means not really. Instead he likes to categorize the flames as such:

 

Defensive: flames used primarily to defend oneself or others.

 

Offensive: flames used primarily to attack threats to oneself or others.

 

Healing: flames used primarily to keep oneself or others alive. 

 

Now how a Cloud, or other flame user's personality, varies due to how flame users utilize their flames this Skull is still unsure. Far too many people see a flame user mainly use one type of flame harnessing skill and then immediately start making assumptions about them. If this starts early enough in their life they may mold themselves to meet this standard. There is also the fact that a lot of these ways of presenting flames come from different lifestyles and backgrounds, which also affect a person's personality. So if there is a causation and effect relationship going on between flames and personalities Skull can not say for certain. This is what he gets, he guesses, for  _ not _ growing up in the Mafia.

 

What he can say though is that the Cloud across from him felt  _ wrong _ , and it wasn’t just because they had different ways of using their flames _.  _ It was like licking an ice cream cone that's the color of Vanilla but tastes like literal actual dirt. Or going to watch your favorite show only to realize all of the actors are suddenly speaking Mandarin and you don't know the language and there are no subtitles. Or getting to your favorite boss in a video game only to find out all the controls are backwards and suddenly you're playing the villain and have to fight the character you just were.

 

He was just about to go over and  _ do something _ when suddenly Fon was at his side, his eyebrows lowered in concern.

 

“What's wrong with him?” Skull almost shrieked before Fon could even ask, gesturing at the Cloud who had begun scanning another part of the room. So at the very least the other didn't see the disrespect and start attacking out of fucking principle.

 

“Ah, you mean the Paladino's Cloud?” Fon asked his worried look not leaving his face.

 

“No! The Great Skull means the plant next to him,  _ yes I mean the Cloud!”  _ He replied, not bothering to lower his voice in the slightest. 

 

“There are some rumors about him that are less than pleasant to say the least. It’d be best not to dwell on it.”

 

“No, Fon, I have to know why he feels  _ so wrong _ .  _ It’s like he’s broken.  _ If you don't tell me we both know how this is going to end” The purple haired man fought back.

 

Sighing Fon didn't even try to fight Skull before he answered this time, it wouldn't have done any good anyway. Once Skull had something he wanted to talk about he wouldn't let go until he got answers, which Fon knew as well as almost anyone. 

 

“Well, there are rumors that he is forcing a discord with his own Sky to gain his freedom. Of course this is all speculation and nothing is certain, but that feeling you describe is certainly one that people associate with a discord. As we are here to kill his Sky though it’s not like it matters, the bond will be severed soon enough.” Fon replied trying his hardest not to let his own voice become tainted with emotions. 

 

Discord was not something spoken of lightly. It was the killer waiting under a wedding bed, or the shadow that moves just a bit faster than the thing causing it. It was a taboo vile subject that was left more to nightmares than reality, and one of the few ways Skull knew a Cloud could become free once trapped.

 

One of the few ways a desperate drowning man would try to fling himself out the the depths to reach freedom. 

 

Looking away from Fon and back at the other Cloud Skull wanted to rage. He longed to let his flames so used to  _ saving  _ start  _ destroying.  _ The building burning to the ground would not be enough to quell the rage that was brewing in the man who had never wanted to bathe his hands in a drop of blood. Just the thought of such destruction would normally turn him to a quivering mess, but instead he found himself quivering in anticipation.

 

Clouds were rare enough to begin with, and one forming a bond with a Sky is one in a million odds. That a Sky would break their Cloud to the point where they would force a discord of all things to gain their freedom is disgusting! A Sky is supposed to protect their elements, a Sky is supposed to let the Cloud roam free yet give them a home to return to. 

 

Taking a deep breath Skull locked eyes with the other Cloud and whispered under his breath to Fon four simple words before he lunged forward ready to attack. 

 

“I have your distraction.”

 

A battle with flame users is always a magnificent sight, and a battle between two of the same flame can be stunning. A showdown between two Clouds however is a rare event, something many had never seen or would never seen again, and was therefore awe inducing. Something that no one in their right mind would tear their eyes away from .

 

To say Skull didn't know what he was doing would be an understatement. All he knew is that soon the bond between this other Cloud and his Sky would be broken, something that ruined many guardians whether they wanted the bond broken or not. At the very worst the other Cloud would be catatonic, their flames would go dormant and resist them, or they would end up dead. In the best case their flames would become volatile and possibly even uncontrollable until they found another Sky. _ If _ they ever found another Sky. Before that happened just once Skull wanted to see the fire of life in this Cloud's eyes. 

 

Skull’s fist did not impact the other’s face, but he never expected it to, Skull wasn’t made for brute force and overwhelming his opponents with his sheer strength. What he excelled at is what he was currently doing, being distracting. Which is why the other Cloud never noticed Skulls other fist heading right towards his solar plexus. The impact shocked the other Cloud enough that Skull thought for a brief fleeting moment that he saw something in his eyes and then it was gone in an instant.

 

But the fight still continued. 

 

Each hit that Skull suffered made his body sing a duet of agony and joy. Obviously being hit by flame strengthened brass knuckles was painful as all hell but the damage was quickly healed by his own flames. Flames that were begging to be used and set free on the world around him and to run through his veins as surely as his blood. Skull wanted to give in and just let his flames rage merely to see if maybe that would finally bring a reaction out of his opponent, but he held them in if only because they were literally keeping his bones from being pulverised.

 

Eventually the other Cloud backed Skull into a corner, which is exactly where the other wanted him, as they had made it all the way across the ballroom and surely everyone's eyes would be on them.

 

“And now the Great Skull will end you!” Which that’s was Fon’s que to ‘cut off the head’ as you will. And Skulls last chance to get a rise out of the other Cloud if he was ever going to get one.

 

Skull was finally able to let his flames loose and prove why he was one of the Strongest Seven, knowing full well that in moments he would not have any more punches to withstand with the other’s Sky gone from the world. The whole room seemed to take on a purple hue from Skull’s perspective, every pore of his skin had flames pouring out of them and never before or again would he say it but he was thankful for Reborn being kindly forced by Luce to make all of them flame resistant suits. The result being that his flames could manifest in a way that they rarely got the chance to, encasing him in a barrier that felt like every time he had ever ‘come back to life’ but better, while still being fully clothed.

 

He heard the gasps but only as an afterthought as he was more focused on something else, the man in front of him whose hands were still posed to strike. Skulls flames reached out to him in a way that they had only ever done to one other person and they began to practically beg the other. 

 

_ ‘Come and play with me.’ _

 

_ ‘Join Me.’ _

 

_ ‘Don’t you remember what it was like?’ _

 

_ ‘Real Clouds are never chained, we are always free.’ _

 

_ ‘Join Me.’ _

 

_ ‘I want to see how brightly you burn.’ _

 

_ ‘Join Me.’ _

 

_ ‘Hurry! There isn’t much time left!’ _

 

_ ‘Join Me.’ _

 

_ ‘Join Me.’ _

 

**_‘Join Me!’_ **

 

Skull was probably only reaching out for a small moment but it felt like an eternity before the other reacted and his eyes finally came alive. As if he couldn’t control himself even if he wanted to the other Cloud released his flames to intertwine with Skulls and they joined together in a symphony that is impossible to describe in words other than joyous. What else could he do other than join in, really, when one of the Strongest Sevens flames were calling? 

 

But Skull could not keep his eyes away from the other’s, this is what he had been waiting for since he saw the other Cloud. To see the sense of freedom singing behind his brown eyes, to catch the flashes of unbridled joy and to know that the other remembered what it was like to be a Cloud.

 

What it was like to be free.

 

Clouds are the rarest flame type, but they are also the only type that when they let loose, really and truly let their flames be free.

 

And then the moment shattered when the others eyes suddenly went dull and his flame seemed to sink into him as if it had never been there at all. The young man looked like he was about to pass out and Skull was about to reach forward to help him somehow when the screaming started. And Skull knew that he should leave, he really did, but he couldn’t bring his feet to move.

 

He just watched a young man’s, a young Cloud’s, flames refuse to answer his call. They were no longer the other’s to control, instead they had gone dormant forever at their Sky’s death, leaving a broken young man behind. A man who from the looks of it was in shock, simply staring at his hands as tears welled in his eyes but would not fall.

 

He had just help steal a Cloud’s freedom.

 

The next thing Skull remembers of that night will forever be Fon speaking to him in hushed tones as the mansion they were in burns behind them. There are no more screams of terror or empty eyes begging for a warmth that won’t come.

 

And Skull? 

 

Skull felt empty.

 

No more rage, just… emptiness.  

 

“Fon?” Skull asked surprised somehow about how scratchy his throat is and how hard it is to get that single word out.

 

“You did nothing wrong Skull. You set him free, you set all of that corrupted Sky’s guardians free.” Fon replied trying to sound comforting, but it had the opposite effect on the Cloud. Suddenly Skull is retching on the ground and Fon has to jump to not be caught in the crossfire. 

 

“Death isn’t freedom!” 

 

“Not to you, and not to me, but to a bound Cloud? This is what he would have wanted.”

 

Skull doubts that after seeing the other's eyes, at the joy and life that was in them when their flames came as close to a Harmony between two flames of the same type as possible. And it was at this point that though Skull had already become attached to the other Cloud he realized he had never learned the other’s name or heard him say an actual word, and that he never would.

 

On the lawn before the building burning with his flames was not the place for this though. No Skull could mourn for days, or weeks if he wished, once he got home in the presence of the other flames under his Sky. He could cry for hours and hours, and be called a crybaby by everyone forever, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t do it here anymore.

 

Not in the place where he had found and lost his first ever Cloud sibling by his own hand. 

 

“Now that’s enough of that! On to the next adventure for the Great Skull and his lackey!” Skull said slipping on a mask of joy as he wobbled to his feet, hoping beyond all hope it looked more real than it felt.

 

Not believing a word, but not willing to have the other have a breakdown Fon slowly stood as well. “Lackey? Perhaps I should tell Reborn of this?”

 

“Ah! Well! Maybe Reborn shouldn’t know about me calling you a L-word!” Skull said waving his hands back and forth frantically. 

 

“You mean... Lackey?”

 

“Fon!”

 

As they walked away Skull refused to look back no matter how much he wanted to. He could not look at the place where a whole Sky of elements had fallen at least in part to his own rage. After all a Cloud can only be as free as they allow themselves to be, and freedom is all Skull had ever wanted for him and everyone he loved. 

 

He is sure, on this at least, the other Cloud would have agreed. 


End file.
